Wichita eagle., 1887-06-16
CLINTON VERSUS GEORGE.

Prof. Gunton, in recent lecture before
the Packard Business College, of New
York City, made the following reply to
some of Henry Georges land theories:
Mr.. Gunton first took up Henry Georges
proposition that poverty is increasing with
the increase of productive power. He
showed from statistics and historical data
that it was not true either that poverty had
increased with the increase of productive
| power or that rent had absorbed an in
| creasing proportion of the gain of civiliza-
ton. He cited facts to show that though
rent had actually increased it had
relatively 70 the wealth pro-
duced decreased continuously
during the last 100 years it had, in fact,
decreased fully 90 per cent, that prices had
! fallen during the same time from 30 to 80
per cent, and that wages had risen nearly
| leo per cent. He next combated the state
ment that there is no power on earth which
can rightfully make a grant Of exclusive
ownership in land. II this were true, he
argued, then there can be no exclusive
ownership in land If there can be no ex-
elusive ownership, the United States can
not have exclusive ownership of its terri
tory. If the United States has right to
own IFS territory as against other nations,
then has not for the same reason New
York state right to own land as against
the United States, or New York City
as against New York state; and if so
why not an individual as against New
York City? (Applause.) In other words,
whatever principal will give the fifty mil
lions of people in this country the right to
own land will give ten million or one mil.
lion or one person that right. (Appause)
In short, there is no such thing as absolute
ownership. In society everything is con-
ditional. The very idea Of society is that
everything must be done in harmony with
the good of the whole, and therefore the
question of land ownership is not CUES
ton of absolute right, but question of
social eXpediency. The principle of tax
ing urearned increments on land would
simply be taking the profits of business
Poverty, continued Mr.. Gunton, can
only be abolished by increasing wealth. Ii
can never be abolished by mere redistribu
ton, because there is not wealth enough in
the community, however distributed, TO
make any important reduction in poverty.
Wealth can only be increased as the
methods of producing it are improved.
Improved methods of production, such as
machinery, ETC., can only be employed in
proportion as capital is concentrated, and
therefore instead of aboliShing the concen,
tration of capital in large corporations, it is
only by that means that increased produc-
ton of wealth can be accomplished
In proportion as large concerns
supplant small ones, and large
firms supplant small firms, every
thing that is produced is produced cheaper
and more abuudantly. In the manufacture
of cotton cloth in 1881 it took four
cents on every pound of cotton cloth pro-
duced to give the capitalist who had snail
:. factories + per cent on his invested capital.
Today it takes little over one and one
half cents to each pound of cloth TO give
him the same return; and therefore he
| takes less than ene-half the amount out of
what he produces today in the large con
Germs than he did in 1881 with the small
concerns. Since that year prices have
} greatly fallen, wages have risen more than
30 per cent, and pauperism has been greatly
reduced